Walking Home

The first day of school was officially over and it was time for me to head home. I would have to walk it back, since I didn’t think it was legal for me to drive my motorcycle to and from school. Well, it might be okay, but since I didn’t know, walking and taking the bus to and from the Academic District wasn’t too bad. It was late in the evening by the time I left the school and there were only a few other pedestrians walking about as well. I walk casually with my head kind of tilted down and my right hand behind my right shoulder in a back-handed manner holding onto my school bag. My mind is wandering a bit as I think back to one of the first encounters I had at the school after getting into my seat. There was a female there who was mad at me for some reason and the fact that I could not figure out why was kind of bothering me. Maybe I looked like someone she knew. What was her name again? “That’s right…” I remember. She had exited the class right before roll call, so I was unable to match her name with her body, and on top of that, I was kind of talking to the guy beside me during that time as well. I give a soft sigh as I lift my gaze up to the orange and reddish hues in the sky and continue walking. “I’ll apologize properly to her tomorrow,” I say, not wanting to make an enemy of a stranger on the first day.

I leave the school build with my head down and dreary exception on my face as I walk down the sidewalk. “Man this year is going to suck. All the girls in gym saw that damn mark and tomorrow everyone one going to think I got a tattoo like some punk… Damn little bitches why they have to hold me down in the shower of all places.” I let out a soft sigh. “I feel so violated….” I look up for a moment and find a familiar body walking not to far in front of me. I take in a deep breath before I start talking to myself to clam down. “It’s ok Nastuki. You’ve change a lot over the summer. You grow you hair out. Your breast have gotten a lot bigger and you don’t wear those dumbass glasses anyone. It would be easy for someone to not recognize you…even if you’ve know each other since middle school. Or he could just be acting like he doesn’t know because he doesn’t want to be seen with you…” My eye twitches a little at the thought but I take in anther deep breath before calling out to him. “Hey Seiki! Wait up.” I quicken my pace to catch up with him. “You’re a little late going home. What you been doing?”

Hearing my name called, I turn around and see the girl whom I’m currently thinking about. She seemed to be heading my way, so I pause my steps for a moment to wait for her to approach. I did find it a bit odd that she knew my name and referred to me by my first name. She seemed to have calmed down a bit by now. As she approaches and speaks, I answer, “I’ve just been checking out the clubs with Hotaka. I wanted to meet the members of the martial arts club and see how it was. But aren’t you kind of late yourself?” Of course, the question was rhetorical in nature and just a little bit teasing. There is a slight pause in my words as I raise my free hand behind my neck and rub it lightly as I look to the side a bit, looking as if I have more to say. I continue form there and ask, “hey… I’m sorry about earlier when I made you mad… but, I’m Asakano Seiki and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Now what should come next would be her name and then maybe we could start getting along from there on. 204

I smile as he pointed out that I was kind of late as well. I was about to explain myself but am unable to have the chance to. I look up at him when he says,“hey… I’m sorry about earlier when I made you mad….”My eyes light up and I see little sparkles as he looks all dreamy for a moment before the image breaks when introduce him self. My head and shoulders slump and a dark aura forms around me. He really doesn’t know who I am… That dumbass I should kill him! No, no, he can’t help it that boys are dumbasses. I guess I’ll just have to remind him…then if he doesn’t remember I’ll kill him! “Kuga Natsuki…dumbass” my tone is calm yet cold.

The answer comes quick and offensive. I am surprised for a moment at the short response before my mouth softly murmurs, “Kuga… Natsuki…” There is a short pause and then a moment when it looks like the lights had come back on as I realized something. “No way…” I say as I take a good look at her. “But you look like a girl…” I observe in a surprised murmur to myself, “and the glasses are gone…. Wow.” Understanding that I was wrong and that not remembering her might have been hurtful, I genuinely apologize, “I’m really sorry, Natsuki. I didn’t even recognize you. You’re really pretty now, it caught me off guard.” At this time, I felt kind of awkward, but I didn’t want to make her madder than she was. I keep a kind look on my face and hope for the best. “Um… how have you been?” 150

I look up at Seiki for a moment. My face turned a little red when we said that I was really pretty. Then I realized he said now with imply that I wasn’t before for. I push him or rather I tried to push him but it ended up more like I was pushing myself away form him instead of him being pushed away from me. “You dumbass you don’t have to say it like that. God I don’t know what to do with you sometimes your so hopeless.” I turn my head for a moment as I huff before looking back at him with my eyes to answer his question. “I have been fine I guess. Summer wasn’t that bad this year… I got to see a lot of interesting things on my trip.” I pause for a moment as I look away. “What about your self. You do anything interesting this summer?”

I guess I messed up again. I didn’t have much experience in talking with girls, so I didn’t have a smooth way of putting words together. As she informs me that I’m hopeless, I kind of look down and rubbing the back of my neck with my free hand as I admit, “yeah, maybe.” As she continues to speak, the conversation seems to get a little better as I comment, “it seems like Natsuki had a good time. Um… I didn’t do much. Just watching over my mother, she still hasn’t gotten better yet, but she’s doing better than she used to.” Not really wanting to talk about that, I move on quickly, “but wow, it seems like it has been a long time. You should come over for tea sometime. My mom would be happy to see you again.” It was a little odd speaking to her like this. I should be familiar with her, but it almost felt like I was talking to a new person. I would have to try to get over it, but unconsciously, I do not make much eye contact with her. She looked plain enough to me from the end of the room when Hotaka and I first entered it, but now up close, she looked a bit fairer. 218

I nod, “Tea sounds good. It would be nice to see you mom again.” I never did understand what was wrong with Seiki’s mom but he didn’t seem to like talking about it, and I didn’t like talking about my family, so I never really asked. My heads go behind my back as I look up at the sky for a moment. “Yeah I had fun this summer. I got to go see the SBK races in Czech and the UK. It was weird over there though so many languages. I didn’t know what was being said half the time so I just smiled and did a lot of nodding.” I giggle at myself a little. “So you and Hotaka going to join the martial arts club and do some karate? He probable thinks I’m some weirdo after this morning but that new guy was pissing me off… Looking at me like. He has to be some kind of pervert.”

The hand that was rubbing at my neck lowers to my side as I stand casually before her as we speak with one another. I laugh lightly at the thought of her experiencing culture shock in so many different areas of the world. It must be nice to travel the world and get to see and experience to many different things. To her question, I answer, “well, I don’t think he’s really into Martial Arts, but I think that Ijin might join. I need to be more active, so I thought it would be a cool thing to do. Don’t worry; I’ll explain the misunderstanding to Hotaka later. He doesn’t seem like the type to hold stuff against people.” I grin slightly and tease, “so you’ve already given Beat a different nick name. Does that mean he’s caught your attention? I can talk to him for you if you like.” 150

I let out an odd fake sounding laugh. “Yeah right! There is no way in hell I would be interested in a dumbass pervert like that. Did you see how tall he was! I would need a ladder just to get eye level with him. And who the hell brings their board to school like some punk. He probably doesn’t even know how to ride it and just carrying it around to look cool.” There is a sort pause, “Dambass…” I murmur as I turn my head away from Seiki. How could he even think that I would be interested in that pervert. He is so hopeless but. “Hmm, you… you wouldn’t happen to be hungry would you?” my eyes glance over at him as I ask.

“Heh, okay, I see I see. My bad,” I apologize to her for teasing her with a soft smile. She seemed to really deny liking the guy, but it was her business whether she didn’t or was fronting at the moment. Beat hadn’t done anything perverted when I was around him, but maybe he had come onto her or something like that, since they seemed to have meet before the first class. With the question she asks, I shrug, “I suppose so.” I had not eaten since lunch. The lunch that I had got me through until the end of the school day, but if I would have known that I would be leaving so late, I would have brought something else with me, or at least a larger portion. I was going to get something when I got home, but I didn’t mind stopping somewhere. “I take it you are. Where you would you to go to get something to eat?” 162

I put my finger to my lip, “Hmm” as I think about his question. I really wasn’t sure where to go to eat. To be honest I really thought he would say no to the idea. Oh man, now what do I do… I’m so stupid sometimes. I look around for a few moments. “Hmm well I’m not really sure I normally just go get some ramen or something when I get hungry. So I’ll let you pick. It really doesn’t matter to me where we go.” I give him a nervous small as I pass the decision back to him. Oh maybe I’ll get lucky and he’ll just invite me over and cook something.

Could it be that she asked me to go and get something to eat without a place in mind? Heh, I guess she wasn’t thinking too far in advance. As she looks around I raise an eyebrow slightly and look about the area with her. She answers and I grin, “oh? I get to pick? Does that mean you’re treating?” There was a chance that she could simply be using me to fill her own stomach as well. I wouldn’t mind it, since I’ve already invited her to the house, but before that I would mess with her a bit and see how she responds. “…If so, I’ll have to think of somewhere pretty expensive,” I remark with a smirk. 122

I grin and was about to make a smart ass comment, “Well ok but….” When I heard the voice in my in head. I had forgotten all about Yun-Yun being in my head. My eye twitches and me face gets a little red before I start yelling at the air in front of me. “NO HE’S NOT! AND I TOLD YOU I DON’T NEED ANY HELP WITH CONQUER A MAN!” I stop walking and drop my bag when I realized I yelled that out loud and now everyone on the street is looking at me funny. My head and shoulders slump over. “I’m such a dumbass. I just said that out loud didn’t I….” I ask in a moping tone more to myself then to someone.

There is a pause and an awkward moment of silence. I’m unsure how to respond to what was just yelled in the air. Could it be that in this time that we’ve been apart, Natsuki has gone crazy, or gained turrets syndrome? “I’m not what…” I saw softly with a raised eyebrow to Natsuki trying to gain a bit of understanding. She didn’t need help conquering a man? Could it be that she has also gotten into S&M play as well? The thought of her dolled up in leather with a wipe was an interesting mental image to have, but I didn’t know if it was necessarily a sexy one. Looking around, I try to get a gauge of our surroundings. It wasn’t necessarily hot, so she couldn’t be delirious. Maybe it was food deprivation that was making her a bit loopy? 142

I look up at Seiki, “I hmm ah I have to go, just forget I ever said anything.” I tell him as I take off running down the street. I wasn’t really sure how to explain what just happen. I could just tell him that ‘Oh yeah I forgot to tell ya that I have a demon in my head and sometimes I just say things out loud like that.’ Sure he’ll really think I’ve lost it. Hell I wouldn’t even believe that one. I turn at the end of the block and keep running till I turn into an ally. “How humiliating, I’m never going to be able to talk to him again now…” I blink when I notice that both my hands are free. “Oh man I dropped my school bag.”

Everything happens so fast. The words are thrown at me and before I know it, Natsuki is out her way far and away from me. Man, I really was bad with girls. I rub the back of my neck sheepishly and happen to look down to notice her school bag lying there on the ground. “Ah man…” I murmur lightly as I look down at it. I couldn’t just let it stay there on the ground like that. Walking forward, I kneel down and pick up her school bag. Looking up, I notice that I do not see where she had gone to, but I guess I could figure the general direction. I would return it to her, and not say too much. Maybe me not remembering who she was ended up being very traumatic for her. 137

I walk out of the ally with a dreary look. ‘If this were an anime, I would probably have some dark aura around me with those squiggly lines coming from me and everyone would be saying “Oh my, what is wrong with that girl.” That damn Yun-Yun, making me look like some crazy nut job. Now I know how Louise felt in Zero no Tsukaima….’ An evil grin comes across my face and a snicker to myself. “I have a lot panties and I’m going to put your ass to work when we get home you water flea.” My hands move like they are binding a riding crop. I turn around the corner to find Seiki with my bag. He looked a little lost, but I did just run off like a weirdo. “Hmm my bad… It’s just been one of those days for me…” I explain as I walk up to him.

In turning a corner I find the girl I’m trying to find. As she approaches, I hold out her bag to her. It was obvious that she wasn’t feeling good, but I didn’t want to make things worst. “Well, then,” I say cheerfully, “hopefully you feel better soon. Make sure you get a lot of rest tonight; the first day of school is stressful for us all. Um… if you want, you can come over after school and have dinner with us. I’ll talk to my mom about it tonight. How does that sound?” She seemed a little different from what I remembered in my childhood friend, but it was definitely her. 112

I take my bag and hold it in front of me with both hands. ‘Hmm thanks…” my voice is just a whisper. My eyes try to stay clear of him but he gains there attention with his cheerfully voice. I just didn’t get him sometimes. Acting all cheery like nothing happen. He even did it when I hit him with a shoe and every time I yell at him. My thoughts wonder for a moment before I realized he has asked me a question. “Tomorrow after school… Um… Yeah that’ll be nice. I’ll make us some cookies or something…” I give him a nervous smile. Me cooking is like, hmmm well I can’t think of what it’s like but it something really, really bad that ends up tasting like coal if I’m lucky.

My hand move back and I stand casually lowering the hand back near my side with my thumb loosely hanging in the pant pocket after she took the bag away from me. “No problem,” I assure her to the soft thank you. I didn’t want her to feel any more self-conscious than she probably did now. At the mention of cookies, I smile softly and nod, “that will be great. I wouldn’t mind eating some of Natsuki-chan’s homemade cookies. I will look forward to it.” Since she’s turned out like this and surprised me by growing into a woman, chances were she had other hidden talents that I had not known about, such as cooking. Deciding not to linger much longer before going home, I end things there as I turn with my shoulder to her as I lift my free hand up and smile, “well, I’ll be going this way now. I’ll catch you tomorrow, okay?” With that, I would continue on and begin to make my way walking away from her heading in the direction of the bus stop that would take me to East City where I would be able to continue the way home unless stopped. 200

My face turns a little red when we tell me that he is looking to eating my cookies. He must have forgotten how bad of a cook I am. And he added chan to the end of my name. Did he use it because we have been friends for so long… He wasn’t using it earlier… maybe he is trying to tell me that he is interested in me or something. My mind dreams for a moment before I realize he is leaving. “Umm Yeah I’ll see ya tomorrow.” I stand there in a half daze as he walks away before I get going myself. “Oh, I’m sure I’m over reacting.” I put my hands behind my back as I walk down the street in a chipper mood. “Now lets see I’m going to need to get some brown sugar, some vanilla, flour, umm eggs, hmm oh yeah can’t forget the chocolate chips…but I still feel like I’m forgetting something…. Oh I know vinegar… you do put vinegar in cookies don’t you…”